Sprinkler system



Nov. 14, 1939. AC. I QOWLEY 2,180,258

SPRINKLER SYVSTEM Filed Aug. 9, 1938 Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,180,258 I SPRINKLER SYSTEM I Arthur C. Rowley, Drexel Hill, Pa., assignor to Globe Automatic Sprinkler. Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 9,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sprinkler systems of the so-called pendent type,

wherein the'individual sprinkler heads are connected by means of depending pipes or duets with system pipes concealed Within the ceiling strucure.

A-principal object of the invention is to provide a novel valve device for normally closing the connection between the said pendent pipes or ducts and the system pipes to which these ducts are connected, said valve device being such that when the valve is opened to admit water to the pendent duct, 2. free and unobstructed passage is afforded through the latter to the sprinkler head.

More specifically stated, a principal object of the invention is to provide a novel valve device of the character described wherein the valve elements when released may pass freely through the pendent ducts to be discharged from the latter whereby the said elements are prevented from interfering or obstructing the free flow of water from the system through the pendent duct.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system of the character set forth wherein the connection between the system pipes and the pendent ducts is such as to preclude damage or displacement of the said valve elements by the freezing of residual water left in the pipes after drainage.

The invention further resides in certain novel structural details and arrangements hereinafter described and illustrated in the attached drawing, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a sprinklersystem illustrating my novel valve device, and l Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the mode of operation of the device.

With reference to the drawing, I is asystem water pipe which in the present instance is shown as extending in the space between the floor 2 and a subjacent ceiling 3'. 4 is a pipe connected to and pendent from the system pipe I, said pipe extending downwardly through an aperture in the ceiling 3 and having a sprinkler head 5 attached at its lower end. The sprinkler head 5 in the present instance has at its upper end a sleeve 6 which is threaded into the lower end .of the pendent pipe 4, and is secured against removal from the pipe by means of pins '1. Mounted within the pipe 4 is an inner tube 8, the lower end 9 of this tube being of reduced external diameter andextending freely through the sleeve 6 and the lower end of the latter.

192s, serial Nb.,223,970

ex: Threaded intothe upper end of the pipe 4 is a 1 sleeve I I, the inne'rwall surface I 2 of which tapers inwardlyfrom the lower end of the sleeve and terminates in a valve seat [3. Cooperative with this valve seat to normally close the connection 3; between the upper end of the pendent pipe 4 and the system pipe 1| is a ball valve Hi, this valve being normally held to its seat by a plurality of small spheres or balls 15 which seat against the spherical surface of the ball l4 and against theio tapered wall I2 of the sleeve II, and which in' turn are. supported by the upper end of the tube 3.. A suitable gasket l6 may be'inserted between the ball valve 14 and the seat [3.

' The lower extremity of the tube 8 is engaged by, a disk I1, and this disk is normally supported against the lower end of the duct 8 by means of the heat-responsive linkage I8 of the'sprinkler head The lower end of this linkage is in turn engaged and supported by a screw l9 threaded into the lower end of the yoke 2| of the sprinkler head, which screw has at its lower end a conventional spreader 22. Pressure is applied to the tube 8 through the screw l9, linkage l8 and disk I! to support this tube in elevated'position within the pendent pipe 4 in which it functions through the balls IE to maintain the valve Min pressure engagement with the seat l3. The sprinkler head, per se, forms no part of the present invention, and may vary widely as to form, the one illustrated being of the type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,849,316.

The tube 8 is adapted to slide longitudinally within the pendent duct 4, and is guided for this longitudinal movement by the lower restricted, end 9, which as described passes through the' sleeve 6 of the sprinkler head, and toward its upper end by bosses 23 whichin the-present instance are pressed in from the metal of the pendent pipe 4. It will be noted that the downward movement of the-tube 8' in the pipe ,4 is limited by the shoulder 24 formed by the lower tube section 9 of reduced diameter, this shoulder being adapted" to engage the inner extremity of the sleeve 8, as shown in Fig. 2. g

Since the ball valve M is of lesser diameter than the diameter of the'tube 8, and since thesaid valve [4 depends for its support upon the tube acting through the series of small balls 15, it will be apparent that if the tube 8 is permitted to drop, as by release of the linkage l8 of .the sprinkler head, the small retaining balls l5 will be permitted tospread between the diverging walls of the sleeve H to an extent permitting the. ball valve I4 to pass downwardly through the tubell,

to be eventually discharged from the lower end of the latter. Similarly the small balls may pass freely through the tube 8, "to be discharged from the lower end in like manner, see Fig. 2. By this means, the valve elements are cleared from the path of the Water discharging through the tube 8, and the water will thereby have free and unobstructed access through said tube to the spreader 22 of the sprinkler head.

It will be noted that the pipe 4 is established within the system pipe I so that the upper end of the sleeve II will project above the inside bottom of the system pipe, and so that if the latter is drained of water, the upper end of the sleeve II in which the ball valve is secured will be elevated above any residual water that might remain in the system. Under these circumstances, any freezing of the residual water can ent' pipe from the system pipe only in the event of a defective seating of the ball valve l4, so that any seepage of water through the recesses 25 will indicate that the valve H3 is not functioning effectively to exclude water from the pendent pipe, and the valve may be tightened through the medium of the screw l9 or readjusted, as may be required. Obviously, the recesses 25 may be eliminated if desired so that the disk H with or without a suitable gasket may seal the lower end of the pendent duct.

I claim:

1. In a sprinkler system,-a system pipe, a discharge duct of substantial length depending from said pipe, and means for sealing the upper end of said duct, said means comprising an upwardly s eating valve element, an inner tubular member slidable in said duct, separable means interposed between the upper'end of said inner tube and the valve element and adapted when the tube is in an elevated position to support the valve element in duct-sealing position, and releasable means at the bottom of said duct for normally supporting the tube in the said elevated position, said valve element and the separable supporting means being of a size to pass freely through said inner tube, and being adapted when released by downward movement of the tube in the duct to pass downwardly through the tube and from the duct to thereby leave the said tube unobstructed for discharge of fluid from the said pipe.

2. In a sprinkler system, a system pipe, a discharge duct of substantial length depending from said pipe, and means for sealing the upper end of said duct, said means comprising an upwardl seating valve element, an inner tubular member slidable in said duct, and separable means interposed between the upper end of said tube and said valve element and adapted when said tube is in an elevated position to support the valve element in the duct-sealing position, a spreader element supported below and in spaced relation to the lower end of said duct, and releasable means for normally supporting said inner tube in the said elevated position, said valve element and said separable supporting means being of a size to pass freely through said inner tube whereby when the latter is released from said supporting means the said valve element and separable means may pass downwardly through the inner tube and from the duct to thereby leave the inner tube unobstructed, and means for limiting the downward movement of the inner tube in the duct.

3. In a sprinkler system, a system pipe, a discharge duct of substantial length depending from said pipe, and means for sealing the upper end of said duct, said means comprising a terminal element at the upper end of said duct formed with a valve seat and with a diverging conical inner surface extending downwardly below said seat, an upwardly seating spherical valve element fitted to said valve seat, a tubular valvesupporting member slidable longitudinally in said duct, and a plurality of relatively small spherical elements supported by said inner tube in wedged engagement between the said valve element and said spherical surface to thereby hold the valve to its seat, releasable means at the bottom of said duct for normally supporting the inner tube in the valve-retaining position,

is released from said supporting means the said valve element and the relatively small spherical retaining elements may pass downwardly through the tube and from the lower end of the duct to thereby leave the tube substantially unobstructed for discharge of fluid from said pipe.

4. A pendent discharge head for sprinkler systems adapted to be attached in depending position from a system pipe, said head comprising 'a duct of substantial length, a valve seat in the upper end of said duct, an upwardly seating valve element engaging the seat, a plurality of valveretaining elements in wedging engagement with and between said valve element and a subjacent wall of the duct, an inner tubular member supporting said retaining elements and movable longitudinally in the duct, means for limiting the downward movement of the tube in the duct, re-

leasable means at the lower end of said duct for normally retaining the tube in an elevated operative position, and means to permit said valveretaining elements to move outwardly away from the valve element when said tube moves downwardly in the duct to thereby release the valve element, said element being formed and dimensioned to pass freely through the tube and being thereby adapted for discharge from the duct when released by said retaining elements.

5. A pendent discharge head for sprinkler systems adapted to be attached in depending position from a system pipe, said head comprising a duct of substantial length, a valve seat in the upper end of said duct, an upwardly seating valve element engaging the seat, a plurality of valveretaining elements in wedging engagement with and between said valve element and a subjacent wall of the duct, an inner tubular member supporting said retaining elements and movable longitudinally in the duct, means for limiting the downward movement of the tube in the duct, re-

leasable means at the lower end of said duct for normally retaining the tube in an elevated operative position, said retaining means including a detachable closure for the lower end of the tube, means providing for seepage of water at slow rate from the lower end of the duct, and means to permit said valve-retaining elements to move outwardly away from the valve element when said tube moves downwardly in the duct to thereby release the valve element, said element being formed and dimensioned to pass freely through the tube and being thereby adapted for discharge from the duct when released by said retaining elements.

6. In a sprinkler system, a system pipe, and a pendent discharge fixture including a duct of substantial length depending from said pipe and a distributor element in axial alignment with and spaced from the lower end of the duct, and

means for seailng the upper end of said duct comprising an upwardly seating valve element of a size to pass freely through the duct and between the lower end of the duct and said distributor, and retaining means for said valve including a thermally-responsive release element, said retaining means being constructed and arranged to afford, when released, a free passage for discharge of said valve from the fixture.

'7. In a sprinkler system a systempipe, a dislongitudinally of the latter, and'releasable means at the lower end of the duct for normalli supsaidsleeve, when released from saidsupporting means, being adaptedto free said valve element for passage downwardlythrough the sleeve and from the duct to thereby leave a substantially ARTHUR C.-ROWLEY.

- unobstructed passage for fluid through the duot. 1

vporting said sleeve in valve-retaining position, I 

